Social Science Section 3 Flashcards
Being derived from Greek, what does “Anthropocene” translate to.
Human & New
When is the Anthropocene said to have started?
1950
T or F: The Anthropocene is an OFFICIAL geological epoch according to the IUGS
False
T or F: Our outputs today will effect the Earths climate for many Millenia
True
Without human intervention, the earth would be… Cooling or Warming?
Cooling
When did humans start burning fossil fuels in part of the industrial revolution
Late Eighteenth Century (~1790)
According to the chart on page 39, how much has the population grown from 1950 to Today (2010)?
~4 Billion, Over Double.
Who popularized the term “Great Acceleration”?
J.R. McNeil
If the Holocene is an Interglacial period, why are we not in another Ice age right now?
The Effects we are causing to the climate is warming it up.
When was the term “Anthropocene” first used?
Year 2000
Traces of what were found in sediment core samples in the 1950s?
The artificial element is plutonium-329
Who were the first 2, to used the term “Anthropocene in the year 2000?
Paul J. Cruten and Eugene F. Stoermer
IN what year did they start treating the Anthropocene as a geological epoch?
Mid-twentieth century
When was the so called “Great Acceleration”?
1950
Who popularized the image of Industrial Revolution?
British Writer Charles Dickens
What era was foundational to the Anthropocene?
1800 to 1050
Around what year did human activity alter the Earth System?
1950
Who labeled the changing that occurred during the “Great Acceleration” in 1950?
J.R. McNeill
When did humans start to interact with the Earth in a way that has never been seen before?
In the mid-twentieth century
Why is the 1950 unique to human history?
There’s data showing how quickly and greatly humans have transformed the natural world.
What year marked the start of technology?
1800
What is the IPCC?
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
What was one of the main causes of the “Great Acceleration”
The growing human population
What was the human population in 1780 and 1930?
In 1780 the population was less than 1 billion and in 1930 it was 2 billion
When did discussion of the Industrial Revolution begin?
The late eighteenth century
How high has the Atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide risen from 1750 to 2010?
It rose from around 270 to almost 390
Around what time did humans start to alter landscapes and built structures that are still here today?
Around 12,000 years ago
What is lowest layer of the atmosphere?
troposphere
Because of climate change, temperatures in the troposphere are rising or cooling?
rising
True or False? In the higher layers of the atmosphere, temperatures are cooling.
True (this is where the atmosphere is thinner)
Is it a problem that the temperature of the troposphere of the atmosphere is rising and the higher layers are cooling?
Yes because it could create instability
How thick is the troposphere?
about 7 miles
Who argued in the mid-nineteenth century that atmospheric water vapor and carbon dioxide could interact with solar rays to raise the Earth’s temperature?
Eunice Newton Foote (1819-88)
How are fossil fuels formed?
from the remains of living organisms from past geological epochs, and are stored in the earth from past geological epochs
What were steam engines powered by? (Hint: it had to be burnt in order to do so)
coal
What happens once fossil fuels are released in the atmosphere?
they serve as a greenhouse gases
What country is the largest producer of oil in 2022?
the United States (it produces 20.21 million barrels per day and share 20% of the world’s total oil production)
In what Iraqi city was oil discovered in 1927?
Kirkuk
According to U.S. sources of greenhouse gas emissions in 2020, what percentage of emissions are from fossil fuel combustion and therefore carbon dioxide?
72.6% CO2, 10.9% methane, nitrous oxide 7.1%, high-GWP gases 3.2%, and other CO2 6.2% (which is a total of 5,081 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent (CO2e))
What is black gold?
a popular term that references oil, its immense value, and the fact that it, like gold, must be extracted from the Earth even at the expense of theres’ freedom and economic viability
What is the United Nations (UN)?
an intergovernmental organization founded in 1945 in the wake of WWII with a continued aim of promoting peace, dignity, equality, and a healthy planet
True or False? According to the United Nations, it was reported that fossil fuels account for over 75% of global greenhouse gas emissions and almost 80% of CO2 emissions
False, it fossil fuels compromise almost 90% of CO2 emissions
What two gases are still greenhouse gases even though they aren’t produced by fossil fuels?
methane and nitrous oxide
What century did industrialization started?
19th century
Who cut down on greenhouse gas emissions?
The US and European Union